Bollywood is self sufficient: Saif Ali Khan

NEW DEHLI:

As an actor Saif Ali Khan is choosing his roles responsibly and wants to prove critics wrong. As a filmmaker he feels Bollywood is “self-sufficient” and doesn’t need to impress the foreign audience.

“The population of Indians is so massive worldwide as well as in India that we don’t need to cater to foreigners. We are self-sufficient,” 40-year-old Saif told IANS in an exclusive interview. Khan’s response echoed his mother’s. Veteran actor Sharmila Tagore had recently given a similar response when questioned about Indian actors’ clamour for Hollywood.

Visiting Delhi to shoot for his second home production Agent Vinod, Khan is taking special care to make the spy thriller, directed by Sriram Raghavan, look different from popular film series James Bond. Looking relaxed in track pants, a green t-shirt, shades while sporting ruffled hair, the chota nawab, shared his aspirations as he completes two decades in the film industry in 2012.

You shot parts of your debut production Love Aaj Kal in the capital. Will we see a different side of New Delhi in Agent Vinod?

It is going to be completely different from Love Aaj Kal. There is a lot of character in Delhi that we would like to capture such as the Aurangzeb Road kind of bungalow and ‘chiks’ tied to the colonial arches of these houses. There is also the old Delhi which is slightly more crowded and a very Kashmir Gate kind of area. We will capture Connaught Place and the famous Nirula’s.

“Love...” captured an atmosphere of being romantic, fun loving with the gol-gappas and metro rides. But for Agent Vinod we want to capture the power of the central government, the grandeur, things like Rashtrapati Bhavan.

We hear there will be heavy-duty action sequences in Agent Vinod. How demanding is it for you?

For me, it is extraordinary to be flexible enough to kick a certain way, run and jump and do it all in a particular style. I think the character doing action is meant for somebody who is very comfortable doing it. Also, it is supposed to look good on him. So that is a challenge to be stylish while doing action scenes in a particular way.

Agent Vinod is supposed to be a spy. Should we expect something like a James Bond?

Everyone will expect a Bond rip-off out of Agent Vinod and that is something we are being wary of. First of all, James Bond is very debonair and, you know, impeccably dressed and unruffled in situations. Vinod is not like that! Vinod is a little bit Bond and a little bit Tintin! He doesn’t look like Tintin, but Tintin is quite an adventure. The situations that he finds himself in are quite unique, interesting and larger than life. Vinod is closer to that.

Most Bollywood producers are focused on making ‘globally viable’ films. What do you think about it?

It’s great we are doing different kind of movies. The population of Indians is so massive worldwide as well as in India that we don’t need to cater to foreigners. We are self-sufficient. We are very different from the West in our likes. We can make their form of presentation as well but we, as an audience, will find it dry. If we want to make a film for the West, we should make it for the West properly.

What do you aim to do through your banner Illuminati Films?

I think at Illuminati we are talking to Indians globally. Although Sriram feels that a foreigner can also enjoy this film my target really is India and Indians overseas.

You will complete two decades in filmdom next year. What do you want to contribute to Bollywood now?

I think the best is yet to come. I would like to contribute in terms of doing different kinds of films and add whatever value I can, in whichever department I can. Whether the contribution is through a production house trying to make some good movies or as an actor involved in stories that entertain. Hopefully, make you think sometimes.

You have also finished the shooting for Aarakshan and you are playing an unconventional role. In what way has your choice of films changed over the years?

There is a certain responsibility in choices, especially when you choose a film like Aarakshan. I feel I’m doing my duty as a responsible actor. It is good if we are able to go beyond something that is exclusively designed to entertain. Choices define you as an actor and we need to do that carefully.

I’m aware that I was given the Padma Shri for contribution to Indian cinema and I know a lot of people feel it is too premature, if not undeserved. So I would aim in the next 10 years to prove all those people wrong!

Published in The Express Tribune, March 28^th, 2011.